Drik Siddhanta Almanac Writers Urge State to Declare Nov 1 As Diwali Day
Kakinada: Drik Siddhanta almanac writers have urged the AP government to declare November 1 as the day for Diwali festival this year. Almanac writers following the ‘Poorva Paddathi’ have recommended that Diwali be celebrated on October 31.
A Drik Siddhanta almanac writer said, “Ancient Jyothisha Sastras like Nirnaya Sindhu, Dharma Sindhu etc clearly favoured the fixing of Tithi and Nakshatra and festivals when two or three Thithis occur on the same day.”
Drik Siddhanta almanac writer Ponnaluru Srinivasa Gargeya said the festival should be decided in a way that the Tithi falls in the afternoon. “On October 31, the Chaturdhasi Tithi continues till 3.51 pm. There is no Amavasya Tithi that day. On November 1, Amavasya Tithi continues till 6.17 pm. So, Diwali must be celebrated on November 1,” he ruled.
Another almanac writer, Upadrashta Nagaditya, said Poorva Siddhanta almanac writers decided on the festivals the wrong way and, on this basis, the government sometimes chose the wrong dates for fixing the festivals and holidays.
“Though the calculation is wrong, Poorva Siddanthi almanac writers are trying to justify their calculations in a wrong way and misleading the people.”
He urged the government to take the initiative for rectifying the calculations and make efforts to give the correct almanac to the people.
Gorthi Pattabhi Sastry and P. Chandrasekhar said senior temple astrologers of Tirumala and Srisailam, among others, were following the Poorva Paddathi and fixing the festivals through wrong calculations. “Their calculations would not tally with solar and lunar eclipse.”
He requested the government to arrange a debate on almanac calculations and take steps to publish the right calculation almanac books in the coming years and remove confusion among the people.
Another almanac writer, K. Naga Malleswara Rao, said the Drik Siddhanta calculation of almanac books has been approved by the Centre.
